Stone Hearts
by JoeyBear1424
Summary: Their burglar's body is cold as stone. Bifur gives it a tentative poke and gets no response. Bilba's forehead is stained with blood, her eyes closed and her body cold. But her chest still rises and falls. She's the only living thing among a battlefield filled with death and destruction. Part six of China Doll. Can be read as a stand alone.


Their burglar's body is cold as stone. Bifur gives it a tentative poke and gets no response. Bilba's forehead is stained with blood, her eyes closed and her body cold. But her chest still rises and falls. She's the only living thing among a battlefield filled with death and destruction. All around her is orcs, dwarves and elves that are being picked up for burial or burning. But here is their burglar barely alive.

"Be right back," Bifur promises and with a final look at their burglar he's running back to the camp. He's pushing his way through crowds of dwarves and searching desperately for Óin or Gandalf, anyone to help him with their burglar. He sees the wide brimmed hat of the wizard first and nearly sighs in relief as he grabs hold of his robe and tugs. "Bilba," Bifur grunts and motions towards where he found her body as his cousins come up to his side. Gandalf pushes past them and strides towards the area where Bifur pointed, his face thunderous.

"Bilba's here?" Bombur asks and looks to Bifur and Bofur. "You saw her Bifur?"

"On the battlefield?" Bofur pales and looks ashen. "Oh Mahal…" He whispers as Gandalf suddenly reappears, cradling Bilba in his arms. Bilba's conscious and is struggling in vain to get out of Gandalf's arms.

"You need healing my dear hobbit," Gandalf sighs as Bilba wriggles. "Please let us help you."

"Not here," Bilba gasps as her eyes fall on the Ur family. "I don't belong here—traitor Gandalf. Not here." Bilba repeats and goes limp in the wizard's arms. Gandalf sighs and with one last fleeting stare at the Ur family he moves off into the elf camp.

Gandalf and Bilba are not seen for nearly a week. The dwarves sit together in their tents and all mumble quietly. Thorin's mind now cleared of gold sickness looks longingly towards the flaps of the tent as if waiting for Gandalf and Bilba to appear at any moment. Fili and Kili stare at the ceiling with deep regret in their eyes. Balin keeps contemplating going to the elf camps and seeing how Bilba's doing. Dwalin growls about the tree shaggers being unable to properly care for her. It's at this moment that Gandalf enters the tent and sends a thunderous scowl towards Dwalin.

"And I suppose you can all take care of her better?" Gandalf demands. "After the way you treated her—you expected me to hand her over to you?" Dwalin scowls but says nothing.

"How is she Mr. Gandalf?" Ori asks and Gandalf sighs, leaning heavily against his staff.

"Her emotional state is one of the worst I've ever seen," He whispers. "She doesn't speak much but stares at the wall or ceiling."

"But she's alive?" Nori presses and Gandalf nods, prompting a sigh of relief from the company.

"She's alive and with child," Gandalf says. The dwarves stop and share startled looks. "A healer who was examining her made the discovery."

"The father….?" Bofur asks and Bifur doesn't miss how his eyes flicker around the company. Gandalf sighs once more and rubs at his eyes.

"It seems that Bilba became quite drunk after her banishment and slept with one of the men in their camp."

"Does he know?" Balin asks and Gandalf once more shakes his head.

"Bilba was embarrassed to admit that she could not even remember his face let alone his name and doubts he would remember her."

"Can we see her?" Ori asks and Gandalf hesitates as his eyes roam over the company until finally he sighs.

"One at a time and I will go in with you—be careful what you say as to not upset her and if she asks you to leave you are to do immediately." Gandalf orders and the company excluding Thorin and the princes follow after Gandalf. As they move through the elf's camp they're sent seething glares and curious looks. The closer they march towards Bilba's tent the more the seething glares increase. The guards standing outside of her tent glower at Gandalf and one shakes his head.

"Do you know what trails you Mithrandir?" The elf asks.

"I do," Gandalf says evenly. "They are here to see Bilba and will leave at once on my command if they upset her." The elf looks hesitant but nods and steps aside. Gandalf gestures for Ori to follow after him and the scribe does so hesitantly. He returns not even a minute later and Bilba's voice carries from the tent: 'get out'. Each dwarf is told the same thing as soon as they set foot inside until finally its Bifur's turn. He steps carefully into the tent and waits for Bilba to tell him to get out. She sits propped up with her head bandaged, the blanket pulled up over her middle. Bifur can see the beginnings of a small bump beginning though he knows this is not a time for congratulations.

Bilba stares at him and nobody moves or speaks for a long moment until finally Bilba blinks and takes a long breath.

"You found me," Bilba says and Bifur nods. "Why didn't you just walk away from me?" Bifur starts to sign friend but stops and lowers his hand back to his side. "I know what that means." Bilba continues.

"Friend," Bifur grunts while signing. "Couldn't leave you."

"You didn't want to leave me?" Bilba asks and Bifur nods. She's silent for a long moment before she lies back down. "I'm very tired now Gandalf." The wizards nods understandingly and motions for Bifur to follow after him.

"You should come back," Gandalf tells Bifur as they walk away from the tent. "She will want to see you again—she'll need you even if she doesn't say it."

Bifur visits Bilba several more times that week but each time she's sleeping. He sits by the bed and carves, signs into her hand and tells her what's going on with the company. He's outside the tent on the day that Thorin's finally well enough to come and see her.

"Oh, you can see me now can you?" Bilba hisses and Bifur stops his carving. "Past your greed for that damned stone you can see me now? Could you see me lying broken on the battlefield and near death?" Thorin's silent for so long Bifur wonders if Bilba's talking to herself until he sees Thorin step out of the tent.

"Come in please Bifur," Bilba finally calls. He steps inside to find her sitting up for the first time in weeks. "I'm middle aged for a hobbit Bifur—I don't know what I was thinking running out my door. Or getting drunk and sleeping with someone from the race of men."

"Not middle aged," Bifur promises. "Not old." Bilba chuckles warmly and shakes her head.

"Wouldn't the others have a fit did they know you'd taught me some Khuzdul?" Bilba asks and gives him a light smile. "I don't know how I'm going to take care of this child—I'm scared." She confesses.

"I help," Bifur says and Bilba narrows her eyes. "I want to."

"You don't know what you're saying," Bilba whispers and tugs the blankets tighter over her growing baby bump. "Don't make a promise that you can't keep." Bilba begs him.

"I can keep it," Bifur lays a hand over his heart. "I know I can. You not want child?"

"I want them," Bilba sighs. "I'm scared of what I'm going to face back in the Shire. I'm scared of being isolated by my family and not having anyone. But I don't—I can't stay here."

"If you can't stay here then we'll go back with you," Bofur says and steps into the tent. "I wouldn't a visit to your cozy little hobbit hole again."

"I'm not going to take you away from the mountain and your family," Bilba shakes her head adamantly as Bombur joins Bofur. "I refuse to."

"We can visit," Bombur promises her and lays a gentle hand over Bilba's. "I'll always come back to the Shire for a hobbit meal." Bilba sighs and looks at the three dwarfs.

"Okay," Bilba finally says. "To the Shire we go."

* * *

><p>Thanks to fishesforwishes; BrendaBanner1234; RoseJustice and koreanmochi for the follow and favorites! They are greatly appreciated! I don't know how many chapters this will be...Probably not even ten. I'm going to wait and see what the reception is before I think about continuing it.<p> 


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